Who could ever love a Beast?
by IveNeverLovedAnother
Summary: Once upon a time in a far away land, a young king lived in a magnificent castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was arrogant, selfish and unkind. A spell was cast on the castle and could only be broken when King Arthur could truly love and be loved in return. But who could ever love a Beast?
1. Chapter 1

One upon a time in a far away land, a young king lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything he could desire, the prince was arrogant, selfish and unkind.

Then one winters night an old beggar came to the castle and in return for shelter from the bitter storm, offered him a single rose. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince disregarded the gift and turned the old woman away but she warned him that beauty is found within and to not to be deceived by appearances. After he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart and as punishment she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle, imprisoning all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle however had a magic mirror which was a window to the outside world. The rose she had offered him was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st year. If he could learn to truly love another and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then, the spell would be broken. If not. He would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years past he lost all hope.

For who could ever love a beast?

* * *

Guinevere wondered through the small, quiet lower town in Camelot.

She saw the same faces each morning as they all smiled kindly toward her when she passed by, offering them a friendly greeting. Every day merged into one and each day that passed seemed to be the same as the next.

Passing by Peter, the baker, he greeted her warmly.

"Good morning Guinevere".

"Good morning Peter!"

"And where might you be off to?" The older man questioned her with a knowing grin.

"The bookshop." Guinevere enthusiastically replied. "I have just finished the most wonderful story about a girl who ate an apple poisoned by an evil witch and - "

The baker's chuckle interrupted her.

"Well that's nice. I must get on with my work. These loaves will not cook themselves! Have a good day Gwen."

"And you Peter!"

Guinevere knew the people of Camelot thought she was rather odd, with her head in the clouds, but she did not care. She dreamed of adventures in far off lands and knew that there must be more to life than this.

Her dreams were never answered though. So for now, she continued living her life through stories in her books in order to escape.

As she entered the bookshop she was welcomed by the shop owner.

"Ah Gwen! If it isn't the only bookworm in town."

"Good morning! I was just coming to return the book I borrowed."

"You finished it already?" Geoffrey replied in shock.

"I couldn't put it down! Your small library makes our small corner of the world seem big" Gwen called out as she wondered to the shelves in search of her next read. Grazing her fingers delicately across the spines she inquired "Have you got anything new?"

Geoffrey chuckled "Not since yesterday"

"That's alright! I will just borrow...this one!" She immediately grabbed hold of a bright blue book with gold writing down the spine.

"But you've read it twice already!" He replied in astonishment.

"But it's my favourite! Far-off places. Daring sword fights. Magic spells. Princes and Kings in grand palaces..."

Laughing loudly Geoffrey handed her the book

"Well if you like it that much, keep it."

"But sir - "

"I must insist" he smiled warmly as he placed the book in her hands.

"Thank you so very much!" Gwen held the book tightly to her chest and wondered out of the shop. Being a regular customer, Geoffrey was always friendly towards her and the shop felt like a second home to her.

She wondered through the town with a dreamy far-off look and her face focused on the pages in the book. The villagers looked at her thinking how beautiful, yet peculiar, this young lady was.

She was different.

Guinevere was one of the most unique looking woman in town. A petite yet curvy girl with cinnamon coloured skin, rich almond eyes that had a warm glow to them and a genuine smile that was infectious.

Her beauty and charming nature did not go unnoticed by many of the men in Camelot. But she had especially caught Lancelot, the towns most handsome yet arrogant knight's attention and it was his aim to make her his wife. He could have any woman in the town as they all swooned over his tall, dark and handsome, as well as his charming smile. No matter what girl threw themselves his way he was determined to get what he could not have. Which was Guinevere.

Gwen was unaware of the odd glances being directed her way but before she knew it Lancelot and his friend George, who was stood close by, intercepted her and grabbed hold of the book she was holding in her hands.

"Lancelot may I have my book back please." Holding out her hand she asked impatiently.

"Gwen. It's about time you got her head out of those books and pay attention to more important things in life" Lancelot threw her book into a puddle before giving her his award-winning smile "Like me".

Ignoring Lancelot's attempt of charming her, the young lady went over to retrieve her book and wiped the cover delicately with her apron.

"Maybe we can go over to the tavern and I could show you some of my trophies from the tournaments?" Lancelot knew this always made the women swoon for him.

"Maybe...another time." Guinevere walked around Lancelot and continued on her way home to see her father. Although Lancelot was handsome, he was extremely arrogant and did not respect her as a person, merely seeing her as a possession.

She wanted to be free to live an exciting life. Not imprisoned.

"I will have you Gwen! Whether you like it or not. You WILL be my wife." Lancelot yelled at her retreating figure, feeling more determined than ever.

"Do not worry my lord she will see sense soon enough" George nervously approached Lancelot.

"Yes. She will. And then she will be mine." Lancelot began laughing arrogantly, George joining in.

As Gwen approached her family home, she saw her father emerging with a handful of weaponry and armour as he struggled to carry it towards his horse and cart. She rushed towards him as he stumbled from the weight of the load, offering to help.

"Thank you my dear." Tom replied gratefully, always amazed out how kind and considerate his daughter was.

"Where are you going father? On search of more materials?" Gwen asked.

"I am actually travelling to the neighbouring village. Lord Melwas has asked me personally to craft some weaponry and armour for him and his sons in exchange for a large sum of money. This could be it Guinevere! Our big chance to make something of ourselves!" Tom stated encouragingly.

Hugging her father, Gwen felt excited for this opportunity for her father however she backed away from him as she began to worry for his safety.

Sensing her fears, he placed a reassuring hand on her arm.

"Do not worry. I will be back by tomorrow evening"

"I will come with you!" Not only in hope to see some of the world but also so she could know he is safe.

"No, no. You must stay here. I will be home soon."

"Please be careful father." Tears started to gather in her eyes. He was the only family she had left.

"Goodbye my dear. I love you." Tom placed a lovingly kiss on her cheek.

"I love you too father. Be careful!" She called out after him.

It reached the evening of the next day and he did not return. As the second day passed Gwen started to become anxious, asking around the town as to whether they had spotted her father, yet no one had.

As the third day passed she decided to go in search of him. Worry filled her thoughts as she imagined the worst and so before she could prepare and plan her journey, she ran out the door with only her cloak and a few previsions, hoping the neighbouring village was not too far away.

She was determined to find her father. No matter what the costs.

* * *

_Author's Note_

I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this new story, based on the fairytale 'Beauty and the Beast'. This is the first story I have ever written and so am welcome to any comments that are made but I do hope it is an enjoyable read that many people may recognise. It is a romantic story set around the time in which the TV show Merlin is set in. I aim to continue with this story fairly quickly so hope you enjoy the chapters to come!


	2. Chapter 2

Guinevere was lost in amongst the snow storm that was engulfing her. Determined as always she knew she was not going to turn back, however as she began to walk deeper into the forest on the outskirts of Camelot, the snow began to fall. In a matter of minutes, the storm became uncontrollable to the point where Guinevere could not see past 3 feet in front of her. She shivered uncontrollably, quickening her pace in search of life. She was lost and could not find her way back to the path. Panic overwhelmed her as she looked down at her now empty bag, her meagre previsions already been demolished in an attempt to warm herself up.

"Great. Only this would happen to me. How could I have been so stupid and naive?" She thought to herself.

However she regretted immediately these thoughts as she remembered how her father may be in danger, so she carried on until she found shelter for the night.

There must be an inn or tavern to cross her path soon.

Lights ahead gave her hope to carry on.

She could not be dreaming it, could she?

As she grew closer it dawned on her that it was a castle. She ran with the last ounce of energy she had towards the large wooden doors and slammed her hands against it in hope that someone may answer. She could not wait any longer and so in her desperation she pushed the door open with all the strength she had left until she entered the building, slamming it shut behind her. She stood leaning against it for a few moments, taking in her surroundings. It was a magnificent castle with a grand staircase, high ceilings and corridors that seemed to go on forever. However, there was a dark and sinister atmosphere in the palace with large statues of dragons, gargoyles and mythical beasts which loomed over Gwen.

She took a few hesitant steps forward.

"Hello?" She called.

Her voice echoed throughout the room as she called out again "Is anyone there?"

Not a sound was made.

Gwen was torn on whether to continue to make her way into the castle or whether to turn around and leave, but as she turned she shivered at the thought of the freezing and fierce storm outside.

"I will just stay here until it dies down and then I will leave in search of father", she convinced herself.

Gwen hesitantly walked on. Even though the palace appeared abandoned, it was in immaculate condition with not a spot of dust on any of the surfaces.

Gazing up at the magnificent pieces of art works and paintings, she reached the edge of the staircase to where the last painting hung on the wall.

Guinevere paused. It was a portrait of a young man with golden blonde hair and blue eyes that even in the dark corridor, she could make out had a magical sparkle to them. The man in the painting had on a magnificent red coloured cloak and a glistening crown upon his head. It was then that she realised that this was not just a grand home to a Lord or Lady, but that it was the home to royalty. As she stepped closer to inspect the beautiful man in the portrait further, in hope to unearth more clues, she heard a murmur in the edge of the room.

"Look. A visitor!" A voice exclaimed. "_Finally_ a visitor!"

"Not just any visitor. A young lady! Do you think she could help us all? She is rather beautiful after all..." The other commented.

"Gwaine! Be quiet before you scare her away." He sighed. "Besides let us not get our hopes up too quickly"

"But she may be our last hope!"

"Who's there?" Gwen's voice shakily called out.

"Please. If anyone is there I am just in search of some shelter and will leave first thing in the morning. I mean no harm and am hoping for some assistance...but I can go now if I am not welcome."

Immediately, Gwaine and Merlin scrambled out from the shadows and joined her in the long corridor, fearful she may leave.

"I am sorry my lady for not welcoming you sooner. My name is Merlin, our master's advisor and this" he gestured to the man next time him "is Sir Gwaine, one of the best and most loyal Knights of the round table".

"The round table?" Gwen pondered this statement, somewhere deep inside her mind recognising these special Knights, but she could not remember why?

Bringing her out of her thoughts, Gwaine smiled smugly at Merlin's comment, before he placed a kiss on her hand and dramatically bowed down to her feet.

"My Lady" he said with a charming grin on his face.

A pink hue rose to her cheeks "I am no Lady but I do apologise for barging in like this, it is just that it is snowing outside and I was so cold...and...and"

It was then that Merlin and Gwaine realised that she was shivering and wet from the snow fall that had now melted onto her cloak and lilac coloured dress, which even though was simple brought out her beauty. Both men were captivated by her for a few moments before apologising to her again, hoping to make her feel more welcome.

"We should be the ones apologising my lady. Come. Sit by the fire" Gwaine gently took her hand and led her to a large, cushioned armchair as he peeled off her dripping cloak.

"But that is the master's chair! I do not know if this is a such good idea. We should be careful." Merlin whispered into Gwaine's ear, but Gwaine was far too busy entertaining their new young and beautiful guest.

"Now. Someone as beautiful as you must have a beautiful name to match" Gwaine offered her a dashing smile.

"You look like a princess to me so it must be something royal to match to such a beautiful face. Like Sophia or Esmeralda. That's it! Princess Esmeralda!"

Gwen giggled "My name is actually Guinevere" she replied softly.

She added "But everyone just calls me Gwen"

The sound of her light and soft giggles in such a dark and somber place echoed throughout the halls and grasped the attention of a looming shadow in the East Wing of the castle.

The sound of low and heavy footsteps coming down the staircase went unnoticed by Gwaine as he was to busy flirting with this attractive young lady, offering her a warm drink.

"I am actually in search of my father" Gwen remembered her reason for leaving Camelot in the first place. "He has been missing for days now and so I was wondering if you had seen him?"

Before Gwaine could respond, Merlin was distracted as he started to become extremely nervous, hearing the footsteps drawing closer and so he nudged Gwaine's arm in an attempt to get his attention.

"Gwaine!" Merlin hissed in his ear as the footsteps grew closer. "You have to stop this ridiculous flirting and get her -"

"I am not flirting I am merely making her feel welcome" Gwaine interrupted as he covered Gwen's shoulders with a blanket.

"This is serious! Gwaine we must - "

But before Merlin could finish, the door slammed open.

"My lord!" Both men shrieked and bowed down to the tall shadow that loomed in the doorway.

Startled from the loud noise of the door, Gwen dropped the cup to the floor and it shattered into small pieces, yet went unnoticed by the men as their attention was now focused solely on the dark figure stood before them.

"Hello? I am sorry to intrude my name is Gw-"

However, before Gwen could finish Arthur strode forward and dragged Merlin and Gwaine up off their feet to face eye level with him in the shadows.

"What. Have. You. Done." His low voice slowly, yet intimidatingly whispered to the two men.

Merlin stammered, trying to think of a good explanation "Well..I...we umm..."

In fear, Gwen took several quick glances at the doorway, trying to think of a quick way to escape as she slowly edged her way to the wall.

"It was my idea sire. It was just she was cold and wet from the storm as she was in search of her father, so I thought..."

Arthur gave a dark and patronising chuckle, turning away from the men "It is always _your_ idea Gwaine." He then quickly turned on the young man, cowering over him and through clenched teeth, growled "You never THINK though do you Gwaine?!"

"NEVER invite anyone in without consulting me first. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

The two men nodded in response before the king added "Make her leave.", waving in the direction of the door.

However, before either of them could answer, he shouted "NOW!"

Gwen became slightly irritated at this man's rudeness and mistreatment of the two young and seemingly friendly men.

Although being completely ignored by them all, she decided to intervene.

"Excuse me?" She spoke up, her voice quivering slightly yet she held herself up tall and sure of herself.

"I am sorry but it is true that I was cold and in need of some help. I did not realise I would be such a bother. I can leave." Gwen said as she reached over to grab her still dripping cloak and made her way towards the door.

"Sire, please. Gwaine had her best interests at heart." Merlin said, "Surely she can stay until the storm passes?"

For the first time since entering the room, Arthur's eyes drifted towards the petite young woman in the corner. Even in the dimly lit room he could see the soft curls of her long, mahogany hair that hung just above her hips. The ringlets that framed her heart shaped face. The outlines of her soft curves which her damp dress clung to. But it was her soft and gentle eyes which Arthur could not tear his own from. They had a kindness and sincerity to them which he had not seen for a long time, but before he let himself get carried away he shifted his focus back towards the two men in front of him.

"She will stay the night." His voice commanded coldly as he glared down at them.

"Escort her to the dudgeons. To _join_ her father" he added, as he turned to make his way out of the room.

"My father?!" Gwen exclaimed as she rushed towards the tall, broad built figure.

Merlin and Gwaine looked at one and other and turned their gaze to Gwen's fearful expression. "Sire. No. It will be freezing down there. Surely..."

"You cannot lock me up. I am no prisoner!" Gwen interrupted the men. She continued, "Please. Release me and my father", determined to not let her voice reveal the fear she felt.

The young king stepped towards her yet still hiding himself in the darkness.

"I warn you. Do NOT defy me. I _can_ and I _will_." Her glared at her with challenge in his eyes. "Guards!"

"Please!" Gwen exclaimed as two men appear from the doorway and pulled her by both arms out of the room.

"But my father!", her pleas were ignored as she was dragged out of the room and into the hallway, fighting against the strong men that led her away.

"Forget about your father. You will stay here until I tell you otherwise. Now take her to the dudgeons." His gruff voice called out.

Gwen was continued to be dragged down the spiral staircase leading to the dungeons. She started to pass several small, damp cells, until then she spotted her father shivering in the corner of one of them.

"Father!" She pushed herself out of the guards hold on her and rushed towards him, grabbing his frozen hands through the bars of the cell.

"How did you find me?" He whispered before he started coughing uncontrollably.

"Your hands are like ice. We have to get you out of there." Ignoring his question, she began looking around the room in search of a way out.

"Gwen. You must leave…now!"

"I will not leave you." She replied, ignoring his request.

"What are you doing?" The young king hissed, entering the dungeons and grabbing hold of her arm, dragging her away from her father.

"Who are you?" Gwen commanded as she pushed herself out of his strong hold to face him, staring determinedly into his dark blue eyes.

She thought she recognised them but before she could think further, her father started coughing again which interrupted her thoughts.

The king retreated back into the shadows, not replying to her question.

"Please release my father. Can you not see he is sick?" Gwen asked desperately.

"Then he should not have trespassed here! And neither should have you" Arthur retorted, showing little sympathy as he leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"But he could die! Please. I will do anything."

"Anything?" he repeated.

Gwen paused for a moment before a thought crossed her mind.

"Release him. Take me instead."

"You? You would...take his place?" The king hesitantly questioned. Amazed at this young woman's determination and bravery.

"No Gwen. You do not know what you are doing!" Her father attempted to reach out his hands to her, desperate to get her attention.

Trying to block out his pleas, Gwen turned towards Arthur.

"If I did, would you let him go?"

"Yes." He replied immediately, before adding "On the condition that you must stay here." He paused. "Forever."

Gwen hesitated before asking curiously.

"Step into the light."

Arthur paused, thinking over her request before finally relenting as he pushed himself of the wall and took a step forward out of the shadows and into the candlelight.

At first glance she thought he had the exterior of any ordinary man, yet was reminded of the monstrous personality he possessed.

How selfish, cruel and unkind he appeared.

As she took a step closer to inspect him further, she noticed there were aspects of his appearance that seemed unnatural - reflecting the beast he was inside.

Almost like an animal. He had the build of bear, broader than any man she had seen that loomed over her. What looked like horns protruding from his forehead that he had attempted to cover with his golden hair. Large hands that fingertips had been replaced with the claws of a wolf.

When she lifted her eyes and gazed deeply into his dark blue ones it was then that she recognized him.

He was the man in the painting. Not the beast that he appeared.

The master of this castle.

The king.

"No! Gwen! You cannot do this. Look at him, he is a hideous monster!" Her father interrupted her curious inspection of the king who towered over her.

Before she could hesitate she held back a sob, muttering "You have my word."

"Done." Arthur stated before turning the lock of her father's cell and taking a step back into the shadows, disappointed that once again another person seemed to be repulsed by his beastly form.

Staring at the scene in front of him a wave of guilt passed through him. He immediately dismissed it, stubbornly still feeling he had done nothing wrong.

Guinevere collapsed to the floor, her face buried in her hands as she realised now more than ever, she was trapped.

Her worst nightmare coming true.

Her father rushed down towards her, pleading for her to leave instead of him but before she could even say goodbye, the king stepped forward and called for the guards to come and take Tom away, back to the town. They dragged him away from Guinevere and led him out of the castle into a small horse and carriage.

"Wait! Please! You didn't even let me say goodbye." She yelled desperately, as she heard the noise of hooves galloping across the courtyard grow quieter as they moved further away. She could still hear her father calling out her name in hope that she could hear him, which broke Gwen's heart.

Staring at Guinevere, Arthur stated "He is no longer your concern. And neither are you his."

He turned around, heading towards the staircase leading back up the the main hallway.

A soft and warm voice called out, as an older woman made her way down into the dungeons being followed by a nervous Merlin and Gwaine.

"Surely sire, Merlin and Gwaine were right before. The poor girl looks quite shaken and clearly in need of some warmth."

She then slowly approached Arthur and added "She may be the one Arthur", softly touching his arm in a way only a mother would.

The king hesitated for a moment, stopping in his tracks before he turned to make his way out back out of the dungeons and to his chambers in the East Wing.

He announced gruffly "Lock her in one of the guest rooms and keep her there until I instruct otherwise"

"Guest rooms? But I thought..." Gwen glanced around the cell, thinking this would be her home from now on.

"You want to stay in the dungeons?" Arthur growled at her, growing impatient.

"No..." She answered carefully, not wanted to aggravate him further.

Alice approached Arthur again, whispering "I will personally take care of her."

Having been the nursemaid to a young Prince Arthur, she had turned out to have been the mother figure in his life that he otherwise would never had had. She still reached a part of him that he had locked away many years ago, managing to occasionally reason with him in spite of his stubbornness.

Arthur huffed in response before ordering to his staff, "Whatever you do. Do _not_ allow her to enter the West Wing. Do you understand?"

"Yes sire." All the servants in the room replied to their retreating master.

Arthur glanced over his shoulder at Gwen one more time, commanding "This will be your home from now on. You may go anywhere you like..._except_ the West Wing" before he strides out of the dudgeons and back up to his room in the East Wing.

* * *

Fear filled Gwen's thoughts. She shuddered as questions filled her mind. Who was this man? Why were they all determined to make her stay? And was her father safe now?

Before she could dwell too much, the elderly lady approached her carefully.

She smiled softly at Guinevere. Her greying hair tied neatly in a low bun and as she smiled, Gwen noticed the soft creases gathering at the sides of her eyes which reflected a sense of her sincerity and genuine kindness towards her.

"My name is Alice and I will be looking after you from now on. Would you like to follow me my dear?" Alice offered her hand to help Gwen off the floor.

Looking back at Merlin and Gwaine who gave her an encouraging smile, Gwen took Alice's hand hesitantly before being led up the staircase to one of the many guest rooms. "Come this way."

After a moment Gwen whispered "What is in the West Wing?", asking the main question that played on her mind as she watched Arthur ascend the staircase in the opposite direction.

Hearing her soft question, the king shouted out without turning back.

"It is forbidden. That is all you need to know." His voice echoing throughout the hall before he slammed shut the door to his chambers behind him.

Guinevere disregarded his statement. What could be so bad that was up there?

As the king's staff were busy walking ahead of her, whispering to each other about their shock of the current situation, Gwen took this opportunity to wander towards what she assumed was the West Wing. As she approached a large ornate wooden door, she pushed it open as her curiosity took over.

Before she could take a step into the dimly lit room, Merlin and Gwaine rushed in front of her, blocking the doorway.

"Oh no no…there is no need to go in there." Merlin stated quickly.

"What is in there?" Gwen asked, attempting to look over the men's shoulders into the room.

"And why is it so...'forbidden'?" she added curiously.

"It is nothing of interest!" Gwaine laughed nervously "Come! Come this way!"

Taking her hand in his he led her in the opposite direction towards the guest rooms, whilst Merlin went to tend to the King.

Gwen's thoughts strayed as she remembered that Alice called the King by his name when she spoke to him.

Hearing his name for the first time, a distant memory flickered to the forefront of her mind yet it was not clear, she desperately tried to remember who this man was and why she recognised his title.

When she and Gwaine arrived at the guest rooms, it was then that Gwen realised that this would be her new home from now on. A castle fit for Royalty.

This was a castle for a King. A castle for a king named Arthur.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur was pacing in his room, thinking over the events of that evening.

'Can this be it? This nightmare could possibly be over soon? All I have to do is get her to fall in love with me and I with she. But how?'

"Merlin!" He yelled for his advisor, and the young man rushed into the room before bowing to his king.

He noticed Arthur's anxiousness.

Not having seen his master act like this before it dawned on him.

This girl must be different.

He carefully approached him, hoping to give him some advice.

"Why don't you invite her for dinner?" Merlin suggested.

Arthur clapped his hands together "Dinner! Yes...dinner."

He turned towards Merlin and commanded "Tell her to join me for dinner."

Before shouting after him

"And it is NOT a request."

* * *

Unaware of the plans being arranged in the kings chamber, Guinevere was escorted by Alice and Gwaine into a large room. It furnished a huge four-post bed in the middle which was covered in silk sheets and a vanity table next to a dresser placed in the corner. The room itself was twice the size of her family's cottage.

As she stepped into the room, she heard the door shut behind her as they left her alone with her thoughts. She heard the turn of a key and the click of a lock before realising that she now was truly a prisoner.

For the second time that day Gwen slumped to the floor sobbing into her hands, the skirts of her now tattered lilac dress pooling around her.

She let herself cry. She mourned for the sacrifice she had to make, giving up her life in exchange for her father's safety.

A little while later Gwen heard the lock twist in the door as Alice entered the room alone with an apologetic smile on her face.

She was carrying a tray of tea, offering her a warm cup in hope to lift the young girls spirit.

"I thought you might like a spot of tea my dear." She smiled.

She added, "It always helps to cheer me up."

"Thank you." Gwen mutters, hesitantly picking up the cup and sipping the hot tea,. She savoured the warm liquid's taste, which soothed her now sore throat from her cries.

It was a luxury item that she rarely could afford and appreciated Alice for offering some to her.

"That was a very brave thing you did." Alice commented to her, leading her over to two chairs by the fire to sit down on.

"We all think so." Added Gwaine who appeared in the doorway, entering the room.

"But I have lost my father! My dreams...everything." Tears began to form in her eyes as the reality of the situation sunk in.

"Cheer up child. It will all turn out alright in the end." tapping her hand reassuringly. "You'll see."

Merlin knocked on the door and entered the room, offering her a warm small before making his announcement.

"The king has requested your presence at dinner."

"I am not going." Gwen replied immediately.

Merlin started shuffling uncomfortably.

"He stated it was not optional."

"I do not care what he said. I am not going!" Gwen snapped back stubbornly.

"But you must!" Alice said nervously.

Gwen did not respond, refusing to agree to have to be in the presence of such a bully.

"I would rather starve than spend a moment in his company!" She snapped before standing and walking over to the large window, staring into the distance.

"Come now child, the master is not all bad. He just finds it...difficult to express himself." Alice stood and tentatively approached the young girl.

"He is rude and arrogant. He has locked me away like a criminal and taken away everything I hold dear. I do not want anything to do with him." She turned her sad eyes back towards the window.

Merlin sighed, leaving the room with Gwaine to deliver the message to his master.

He will not be happy.

* * *

In the mean time Arthur started pacing again, now in the dinning hall.

"What is taking so long?! I told her to come down." He stopped and turned on two of his most trusted and loyal knights, Leon and Percival. Luckily, before they could think of a response the other two men entered his chambers.

"WHY is she not here yet?"

"Try to be patient sire. The girl has lost her father and her freedom in one day." Merlin stated, avoiding telling him the real reason she is not there.

"Sire? Have you thought that perhaps this girl could be the one to break the spell?" Gwaine stepped forward and bravely asked.

"Of course I have! I am not a fool." The king snapped at the young men in the room, before pacing the length of the room again.

Casually leaning against the table, Gwaine responds enthusiastically "Good! You fall in love with her, she falls in love with you then bam! The spell will be broken and we will be free!"

"We have to be realistic. These things take time Gwaine..." Leon speaks up to his friend.

"But we do not have time! The rose is already beginning to wilt." Merlin reminds them all of their predicament.

Sighing, Arthur slumps in a chair "It is no use. She is so beautiful and kind and well...look at me! I am nothing but a monster and a beast. She was repulsed at the very sight of me"

The men glanced at each other, feeling pity for their King.

"But you must make her see past all that sire. Make her see the man you truly are inside."

Arthur hesitates "I don't know how.", looking down at his hands nervously.

"Well you can start by making yourself seem more approachable" Merlin states bravely.

"Stand up straight and try to act more like a gentleman and less like a…"

"A Beast?" Arthur mutters.

"Yeah..."

Gwaine smirks, stepping forward as he decided to intervene.

"Take some of my experience with the ladies. When she comes in give her a dashing smile and take her by the hand and - "

"But for god's sake don't frighten the poor girl." Merlin interrupts.

The men start instructing the king.

"Impress her with your charm!"

"But be gentle"

"Shower her with compliments"

"But be sincere"

"But above all" They all state in unison

"You must control your temper!"

Before Arthur can take in all their advice, there is a hesitant knock at the door as one of the serving girls entered the room carefully. This reminds Merlin and Gwaine of the reason they came to the King in the first place and nervously look at each other, knowing what is going to happen next.

"Well? Where is she?" Arthur stands and turns to her, growing impatient.

The girl nervously delivers the news to her master, avoiding eye contact with him. "Umm...she is not coming sire..."

"WHAT?" Arthur furiously bellowed.

How dare she refuse him. He pushes the poor girl out of the doorway and stomps off to Guinevere's room.

* * *

Gwen is questioning Alice about the king.

"He is not that bad. I know deep down he has a gentle soul. We have been told that, one day, a young woman will come and she will change him like no other has. Who will turn him into a kind and fair ruler we all know he could be. We have all hoped and prayed that this day would come and we think that are prayers may have been answered." She stares expectantly at Gwen.

"And you think that is me?" She responds, shocked. "That cannot be right."

"My dear. It has to be you. If he cannot change before his twenty-first birthday in two weeks time...he never will. And then we will live like this forever." Alice answers, a look of sadness and desperation etched on her face.

"Why? Why do you not just leave?" She asks the question that has played on her mind.

"We are all cursed my dear. Until King Arthur learns to love and be loved in return, we cannot take a step outside the palace."

Gwen looks away guiltily.

"I am sorry I cannot help but I could never love such a... such a..._beast_"

Before Alice can convince her otherwise, there were several large knocks on the door.

"I told you to come down for dinner!" Arthur shouts from the others side.

Stubbornly Guinevere retorts "I am not hungry!"

"You'll come out or I'll...I'll..." thinking of a response, he finally adds "break the door down!"

Merlin decides to intervene.

"My lord, I might be wrong but I don't think this is the right way to handle the situ-"

"But she is being so difficult" Arthur says through clenched teeth, pointing towards the door.

Gwaine approaches him "Be a bit gentler my lord"

The king huffs and growls in the direction of the door

"Will you come down for dinner?"

"No!"

He turns back towards them, throwing his arms in the air in frustration.

Leon gives him an encouraging smile and gestures towards the door

"Calm, gentle"

Through clenched teeth Arthur turns, glaring back at the door.

"It would give me great..._pleasure_...if you would join me for dinner."

Gwaine smirks "say please", teasing his master.

Quickly, Arthur adds "...please."

"No thank you."

Losing his temper, he bellows through the door "You cannot stay in there forever!"

"Oh yes I can!"

"FINE. Then go ahead and STARVE!"

He turns on his servants, fury in his eyes.

"If she does not eat with me, then she does not eat at all.", before storming back to his chambers.

"Oh dear...that did not go well at all did it?" Percival quietly comments for the first time that evening.


	4. Chapter 4

Later that evening, Gwen hesitantly opened the door to her room and glanced out into the hallway.

As she made her way down the corridor she saw Gwaine casually leaning against a wall, flirting with one of the servant girls.

Gwen rolled her eyes yet smiled at his charming, but completely innocent, nature. He saw her approaching and immediately blocked her path.

"What can I help you with my lady? I do not think the master will be happy to see you out and about" He said cheekily, winking at her.

"I would like to look around, if that is alright?" She gazed up at him with her warm eyes and smiled shyly at him.

"Would you like a tour?" Gwaine smirked, offering her his arm.

Merlin came down the other end of the corridor. Seeing this exchange, he hurried over to them.

"You let her out?! I do not think this is such a good idea. If the king found out she was snooping outside her chambers, he would not be happy"

"Perhaps you would like to take me? Im sure you know everything there is to know about the castle." She turned to Merlin giving him a warm smile.

"Oh well...yes I do actually." He blushed. "As the king's advisor I know everything there is to know! It would be my pleasure!" He affirmed excitedly.

As the three of them made their way through the castle, Gwen stared amazed at the magnificent building.

Seeing Gwen's eyes wonder to the West Wing again, the two men tried to gain her attention in hope to distract her.

"Perhaps you would like to see something else my lady? We have exquisite art work - "

"Maybe later..." she dismissed, still focusing on the mysterious door.

"The gardens? Or the...the library perhaps?"

This gained Gwen's attention. "You have a library?" She whispered excitedly.

Chuckling, Merlin walked ahead of her stating "Yes! Yes! Indeed. With books."

"Scads of books!"

"Mountains of books!"

"A... forest of books!"

"More books than you will be able to read in a lifetime!"

Thinking they had grabbed her attention, Merlin and Gwaine darted towards the library, immersed in a heated debate over something or other. Gwen took this opportunity to make her way back to the West Wing as curiosity took hold of her.

"I wonder what he is hiding up there." She whispered to herself.

Glancing back at the two men walking in the opposite direction, she quickened her pace. She hesitantly touched the golden doorknob, but before questioning it she grunted as she opened the heavy door before slamming it shut behind her. Leaning against the solid piece of wood she took in her surroundings. It took her a moment to adjust to the darkness of the room.

It was a mess. There were scratch marks up the wall and tears through paintings. She glanced at the furniture that had been turned over, assuming they had been thrown across the room. Unlike the rest of the castle the room was covered in dust and dirt. She pushed past tapestries which hung by a thread, stumbling over a small wooden table however luckily catching it before it made a noise. Carefully, she attempted not to tread on any glass which she suspected used to be vases and goblets.

It was then that she spotted a pink glow in the corner of the room, near a large window leading to a balcony. As she approached the shimmering glass dish she saw, what looked like, a rose hovering inside. She lifted the glass and put it to the side. Hesitantly, she brushed a stray curl behind her ear before reaching out a finger to touch the magical rose, staring in awe of it as it glistened and shimmered with a kind of beauty she had never seen before.

Just as she was inches away from it a large shadow fell across her. Guinevere shrieked as she turned and saw the beast looming over her. She could hear his short puffs of breaths as his anger grew. He snatched the glass dish and delicately placed it back over the wilting rose before turning on her.

Arthur snarled, "Why did you come here?"

"Im...im sorry" Gwen squeaked.

"I warned you never to come here."

"I didn't mean any harm, I - "

Losing his temper, he bellowed "Do you realise what you could have DONE?" before smashing his hand against a glass mirror, shattering it into tiny pieces.

"Go. And _never_ come back." Even though he knew this was his only chance and he was letting it go, he didn't care. Raising his voice, he yelled one final time "GET OUT!"

He pushed her out of the room, continuing to smash pieces of furniture that got in his way.

Watching the fear in her eyes as she took one more glance at him before rushing out the door, he turned with his hands on his temples before slumping in defeat to the ground.

Tears were streaming down her face as she was shocked at the events that had just taken place. How did her situation go from bad, to worse?

Without looking back at the onlookers she continued running, ignoring a startled Merlin and Gwaine.

"Where are you going?!" Merlin called out.

"Promise or no promise. I can't stay here another minute."

Not looking back, she grabbed her cloak on the way down the staircase before running out of the door and through the palace gates.

The snow was still falling heavily; the snow settled on the floor now coming up to her knees. She ended up wading through it but within minutes she was shivering, her face pale and lips turning blue.

As she made her way deeper into the woods she screamed as she suddenly heard the howls of wolves. She attempted to turn back in the opposite direction but it was too late as she was now surrounded by them, snarling at her. In an attempt to defend herself she picked up a large branch, swinging it in several directions but she knew she will not be able to fend them off for long.

One of the wolves jumped from behind, grabbling her cloak in its teeth which caused her to crash onto the ground. On her way down she hit her head against one of the trees. Her head started to throb and her vision became slightly blurred. She knew now that this was the end and her last thoughts were of her father.

* * *

Back at the castle the young king lifts himself to stand at the table, angry with himself for once again losing his temper and ruining the last chance he had. He watched as another petal fell from the rose. It was not long now before all hope was lost.

In the mirror which lay next to the rose, an image appeared. He reached down and stared at the scene playing in front of him.

Guinevere.

Even though he could not hear, he could see the screams escaping her mouth as she waded through the snow. It was when he could see the wolves approaching her that he grabbed his sword and ran out of the room and down the stairway towards the stables, without hesitation.

Arthur had no idea what he was doing other than the fact that he, for once, he listened to his gut.

He knew he could not let her die.

Just as he leapt from the horse and draws his sword, he see's Guinevere being knocked to the ground, her head bashing against a tree trunk. In a fit of rage, Arthur pulled Guinevere up and behind him in an attempt to protect her. He launched an attack on one of the wolves, fighting with skills that Gwen had never seen before.

In the process of defending her, a large claw deeply slashed into his arm. Dropping his sword and grunting in pain, he used his own claws to plunge into the leader of the packs' chest. As the other wolves retreated in fear, he dropped to the ground.

Gwen watched in horror as his deep red blood stained the crystal white snow.

She turned to jump onto the horse to flee the scene but turned, glancing at the beast that had just saved her life. She paused and for the first time she felt pity towards him.

Turning, she rushed down towards him, ignoring the throbbing of her head.

"Oh my goodness" she whispered to herself before taking off her cloak and placing it over his shoulders. She did not complain as she knew he needed it more. Carefully she helped him to stand as they stumbled towards the horse. He could not speak but gratefully nodded in her direction before heaving himself up onto the steed, with her assistance.

Guinevere grabbed hold of the reins and led the horse slowly back towards the castle. When they arrived she helped him down.

Leaning against her for some support, he slurred "I am fine. You...you can go."

"I am coming in with you" she replied softly, leading him through the gates and up the steps.

"But I am letting you leave?" He sounded confused but he was grateful for her help.

"I'm not leaving you when I can help" she whispered as they entered the building.

She called out for help.

Leon and Percival appeared from the opposite corridor with Merlin and Gwaine following not far behind them.

"Thank you Gwen" Leon said as they took the king carefully from her, leading him towards the fireplace.

Hearing the commotion, Alice appeared with a bowl of boiling water and some cloths. Turning to Gwen she said "Get out of those wet clothes and warm up my dear. I will tend to his wound and then take a look at your head."

"No please. Let me look at him. It is the least I can do." Guinevere carefully took the bowl and cloth from her and walked towards the injured King. He was curled up in the armchair, cradling and prodding his injured arm.

It was the first time that he looked vulnerable, almost innocent.

"No, don't do that." Gently taking his arm and rolling back his sleeve.

"Now hold still." She said as she began to clean the wound with the damp cloth.

Immediately, Arthur's eyes opened wide as he growled in pain "Ahh! That hurt!" He scowled at her.

"If you would hold still it wouldn't hurt as much!" She retorted.

He replied sternly "Well if _you_ hadn't had run away then this wouldn't have happened"

"If you hadn't have frightened me then I wouldn't have ran away!" Gwen shouted back.

He opened his mouth to make a clever retort, but could not think of one. "Well you should not have been in the West Wing..." he huffed under his breath.

"Well you should learn to control your temper!" She crossed her arms, determination in her eyes.

The knights and servants stared in astonishment at the scene in front of them. Never before had someone stood up to the King as much as she had, putting him in his place and making him speechless.

Before he could think of a sharp response, she grabbed his arm again "Now hold still. This might sting a little."

He hissed as she dabbed at the wound.

Gwen whispered, "By the way…thank you. For saving my life." she looked up at him with a small smile, which caused a special warmth to flood through him.

He nodded in her direction, replying as kindly as he could "You're welcome".

They fell into a comfortable silence as they sat in front of the fire.

He quietly said "I hope your head is alright."

She could see the concern written on his face but only nods offering a small "thank you".

When Guinevere finished cleaning his wound, Alice pats her shoulder and leads her out towards the guest rooms to help her change out of her damp and cold clothes and to see to her head.

Glancing back over her shoulder, Gwen took one more look at the man sitting in the chair. Not beast, but the man he truly was.

She whispered a "Good night" before turning and walking away.

Arthur stared at her retreating figure with warmth in his eyes until she was out of view. He then turned his attention to the roaring fire in front of him, trying to figure out these foreign emotions he was feeling.


	5. Chapter 5

Guinevere woke up the next day feeling surprisingly well rested and definitely more positive. Then there was a knock at her door as she got out of the bed and Alice tentatively entered the room, holding a tray of breakfast for her.

"Here you go my dear. I thought you must be hungry after going through such an ordeal last night." She said as she placed the tray down on the table.

"Thank you Alice." Gwen smiled warmly at the older woman as she sat down. She immediately started to pick up the food, not having realised how hungry she was.

In the meantime, Alice walked over to the wardrobe and picked out a beautiful peach coloured dress made of fine silks with flowing sleeves and small, intricate flowers decorating the bodice from the wardrobe.

Presenting it to Gwen she stated "Now, i think this would look rather lovely on you and bring out your colouring nicely. I think it is time to discard that dirty dress of yours don't you my dear?"

It was then that Gwen looked over to her simple dress draped casually over a chair and noticed how much of a state she must have appeared last night. There were rips up the side of the skirts from where the wolves had clawed at it, a tear on the arm of her corset, mud splashed up the front and stains from the patchy damp caused by the snow.

"Thank you Alice, it looks lovely." She gets up and goes behind the screen to change before going over to sit at the vanity table as Alice began to brush out her long hair, pinning it away from her face and lacing soft peachy ribbons through it.

"There. You are a vision Gwen." Alice smiled warmly at her.

Curiously, Gwen made her way over to the mirror and gasped at her reflection. Alice was right the colour suited her golden skin perfectly and her hair now had a glossy sheen to it.

For the first time in her life Gwen felt quite beautiful.

Before she could thank Alice again, she interrupted and sayed "Why don't you have a wonder around the garden hmm? Make yourself more at home. I am sure Arthur would not mind."

"Are you sure?" Guinevere asked tentatively.

"Of course. Now run along." She shooed her out of the room.

Gwen wondered through the garden, kicking the snow beneath her feet whilst playing with one of the royal guard dogs who jumped around excitedly in the snow, making her laugh. She does not notice the sets of eyes observing her from a balcony.

Arthur stood there leaning against the wall, analysing the scene in front oh him. Merlin was standing at his side as he glanced between the king and this young lady, watching Arthur's expression as he slowly smiled whenever Gwen's laugher filled the air.

Arthur could not tear his gaze away from her. The fear in her eyes from the day before had melted away and been replaced with a gleam of...hope?

He had noticed her beauty as soon as he saw her but today, even more so. The soft sunlight glowed on her skin that yesterday, had a pale tinge to it. Her hair which had seemed damp and crusty from the ice and snow now had a shine to it as it fell down her back in soft curls. But it was the combination of her in that beautiful dress and her large, warm smile which caused his heart to stop beating for a moment.

She looked like a Queen.

Touching the wound on his arm he remembered the night before, then whispering to no one in particular "I've never felt this way about anyone before..."

He then stood up straight and stated determinedly, "I want to do something for her". Hesitated, he turned towards Merlin "But what?"

"Well there are the usual things. Flowers, chocolates, poetry-"

"Merlin..."

They then turned to hear Gwaine approaching, who had been listening in to the conversation, as he inputed "No no, it has to be something very special! Something that sparks her interest." He then thought for a moment before in dawned on him. "Wait a moment!" He turns to the young king as he revealed his thoughts to him.

* * *

Later that day Arthur led Gwen through the corridors of the palace. He turned to her, finally saying as kindly as he could "I would...like to show you something."

He went to open the door in front of him before pausing and turning back to her.

"But first, you have to close your eyes." He said nervously, adding "It's a surprise."

Gwen glanced at him suspiciously before relenting and closing her eyes slowly.

Arthur waved his hands in front of her face to check she could not see. When she did not respond he opened the door and gently grabbed hold of her small hand in his, leading her into the dark room with a smile on his face.

"Can I open them?" She asked impatiently.

"No, no. Not yet." He paused before continuing. "Wait here."

He then ran over to the large windows and pulled open the heavy curtains. Gwen could feel the suns rays entering the room as she moved her head around, trying to follow the noise of his footsteps.

"Now can I open them?"

"Alright." He paused before nervously glancing at her. "Now."

Gwen opened her eyes and glanced around the room, spinning around as she took in her surroundings. There were thousands upon thousands of books of all different sizes and colours covering the walls, going all the way up to the high ceilings.

She whispered "I cannot believe it. I've never seen so many books in my whole life!"

"You...you like it?"

It was then that Guinevere turned to look at Arthur. His blue eyes stared expectantly at her as he nervously shifted on the balls of his feet. She heared the sincerity in his voice, which made her smile.

"It is wonderful."

Arthur smiled back before answering "Then it is yours."

"Thank you so much." She takes hold of his hands and stared up into his eyes. That warm feeling rushed through Arthur again and he could not help but feel proud of himself for being the cause of her smiles and laughter as she span around the room again.

The servants and knights glanced astounded through a crack in the door.

"I cannot believe it." Leon whispered

"Ha! I knew it would work!" Gwaine replied smugly, slapping Leon on the shoulder before they walked away down the corridor, leaving the pair alone to have some privacy.


	6. Chapter 6

Back in Camelot, Tom desperatley went around the town asking for aid to rescue his daughter, begging anyone he could but no one would believe his story of a beast in an enchanted castle. They all thought he had gone mad and turned him away.

However, they did not realise the truth in his words, having no remembrance of their King or the castle. The enchantress had cast a powerful spell on the citizens of Camelot. It made all their memories of the King be erased and until the beast could love and be loved in return, they would remain that way. All they thought now was that the council ran the town since Arthurs father, King Uther's, death. They had no memory of their young prince or his knights and it would remain that way until the spell was broken.

In his last attempt to get help, Tom entered the local tavern in search of strong men to help him get Guinevere back.

"Tom?" The barman called out to him, shocked at his friend's current state.

"Please! Please I need your help!" He yelled.

"He's got her. He's got her locked in the dungeon." Tom shouted out desperatley.

"Who?!" A man called out.

"Gwen! We must go. Now! There is not a minute to lose."

"Whoa…slow down Tom. Who's got Gwen locked in a dungeon?" Lancelot questioned. He was casually slouched in a chair by the fireplace with several women gathered around him, fawning over him.

Tom ran up to him, grabbing him by his collar "A beast! A horrible, monstrous beast!"

There was a pause as the people in the tavern stared dumbfounded at Tom, before there was an eruption of laughter at the ridiculousness of his statement.

Ignoring them he turned back to Lancelot.

"Will you help me?"

"Alright old man. We will help you out." Lancelot turned and smirked at George.

"You will?! Oh thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" He repeated over and over again. But before he realised what was happening, he was dragged to his feet and thrown out the door of the tavern, laughter coming from within.

"Crazy old Tom" one man stated as he walked over to the bar.

Lancelot sat up in his chair.

"Crazy old Tom, hmm?" Pausing as a thought crossed his mind. "George!"

"Yes sir?" He hesitantly responded as he approached the knight.

"I have been thinking...that crazy wacky old coot whose Gwen's father will do anything to get his precious daughter back so I've hatched a plan which will ensure the she becomes my wife. His sanity is slowly slipping away and I think we could use this to our advantage, don't you agree?" He then laughed menacingly before dragging George up to him as he whispered his plan in his ear. They both laughed as they began to plot their scheme.

* * *

Later that night, three men made their way through the tavern before entering one of the private rooms.

As they all sat down, an older yet menacing man stated. "I don't usually leave my lady's estate in the middle of the night, but they said you would make it worth my while"

Lancelot dropped a pouch of gold coins onto the table in front of him.

"Ah. I'm listening." He picked up one of the coins, inspecting it.

"You see; I've got my heart set on marrying Guinevere Leodegrance but she needs a little…_persuasion_." Lancelot smirked knowingly at Lord Agravaine who's niece, Lady Morgana, had an estate which housed the mentally insane.

Continuing he said "Everyone now thinks her father is a lunatic. He was in here tonight raving about a beast in a castle."

The man interrupted "Tom is harmless..."

"The point is. Gwen would do anything to keep him from being locked up."

"Yeah even marring him" George said under his breath which went unnoticed by Lancelot.

"So you want me to lock him up in the mental asylum? Unless she agrees to marry you?" Lancelot nods entusiastically. "Well...that is truly despicable." Smirking Agravaine added "I love it. And I am sure my lady would agree."

They all erupted into a villainous laughed. Their plan was coming together and soon she will be his wife, Lancelot thought.

Just as Lancelot and George arrived in a carriage at the Leodegrance's family home to take Tom away, he was running unaware in the opposite direction towards the forest. No matter what he was going to rescue his daughter from this beast.

With or without their help.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

As the days went by, Arthur and Guinevere spent more and more time together. They sat with each other at most meal times and tried to learn more about each other, sharing stories of their childhoods and their inner most thoughts and dreams. Slowly this arrogant and selfish beast was slipping away and revealed a smart and quite considerate and kind man.

Arthur tried to regain his manners and politeness that he had been brought up with. For so many years he felt so angry and betrayed that he did not care about these small things, thinking they were useless to him now.

At first Gwen was quite shocked at the lack of etiquettes the young man had - for example, the way he ate his food. He would slurp up his meals, using his hands to pick up things on his plate.

One day Merlin noticed Gwen's glances towards the prince and gave him a stern look, pointing to encouraging the king to use his cutlery. Arthur paused for a moment, looking up at Guinevere before attempting ungracefully to eat his food more politely. She was touched by his efforts but decided to ease his embarrassment by lifting the bowl up to her mouth and sipping the soup gently. Arthur smiled gratefully at this gesture and mirrored her actions, toasting the bowl in her direction.

The servants looked warmly at the couple in front of them, glancing knowingly at each other before continuing with their duties.

A few days later Arthur invited Guinevere to take a stroll with him in the palace gardens after he found out that this was her second favourite spot in the castle, the first being the library. The snow had settled on the ground and for the first time that winter there was signs of life as there were several robins flying and tweeting in the trees.

Placing her hands in her pockets, Gwen grabbed a handful of bird seed and held them out in front of her as the birds came and pecked at the food, making her giggle.

She turned towards Arthur who she caught starring at her with intrigue. He adverted his eyes when she caught him and focused his attention back to the robins sat on a branch. Gwen then grabbed his large hands and placed some of the seeds in it, gesturing for him to approach the birds that were fluttering on the ground.

Arthur bent down and shoved his hands out in their direction but they fluttered away, back up onto the branches. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion as to what he did wrong, not realising how forceful his actions had been. As he slowly wandered back over to the retreating birds, Gwen watched on as a harm smile graced her lips. As time had passed she had learnt how sweet and kind the young man could be, even though he appeared mean, coarse and unrefined at times. But now she saw he was endearing and slightly unsure of himself, which she had never thought possible on their first meeting.

She walked over to Arthur, bending down and picked up a few seeds that he was holding in his hand and scattered them on the snowy floor to encourage the birds to follow the trail. A little robin started to peck at the small line of seeds before jumping into Arthur's hands, chirping happily as it pecked away at the food.

He turned to her, beaming with a wide and genuine smile on his face. For the first time in years he did not feel like a terrifying monster, but a man again.

He caught her glance his way before she placed a small reassuring hand on his arm, shocked that she did not flinch or shudder away from his hideous form.

He doubts himself for a moment.

"No. It cannot be." Thought Arthur, as he could never expect her to love a beast such as he. But then he remembered her glances and soft touches recently.

Questioning his thoughts, he wondered

"She has never looked at me this way before. Maybe something is different now?"

Making her way towards the tree, Guinevere hid behind it for a moment to gather her thoughts. These new and slightly alarming feelings began to grow inside her. She huffed in amazement. "Who could ever have thought this could be?" Before turning back to the young king who was now covered in the birds who pecked away at him.

Giggling at the scene in front of her she leaned herself against the coolness of the tree trunk.

"He is not much of a prince charming. But...there is something in him that I simply never saw." She pondered, deep in thought.

Shaking her head to snap herself out of her thoughts, she smirked mischievously as she gathered a handful of snow off of the ground a threw it in Arthurs direction with a giggle.

He turned with a grin on his face, startled from her boldness.

"Oh this is war Guinevere! And I warn you. I am one of the most skilful warriors in all of Albion" he stated as he slowly approached her with a handful of snow hid behind his back.

"You will have to catch me first!" Gwen shouted as she darted from his grasp.

Merlin, Gwaine and Alice smiled down from the balcony, watching the pair play and run around in the snow.

"I haven't seen Arthur this happen in years" Merlin said in astonishment.

Gwaine commented with a cheeky grin. "I don't think I have _ever_ seen Arthur this happy, full stop."

"There may be something there that wasn't there before" Alice wistfully said, staring down at the couple.

Later that evening the pair sat and gather by the fire, Arthur offered to take her cloak from her and placing it gently on the back of the arm chair. They sat as Gwen smiled softly at him, holding a book in her lap as she began to read one of her favourite stories to him. The passion and enthusiasm she felt towards the story rung out in her voice.

"Why do you love these stories so much" Arthur turned to her, his voice gentle and innocent.

Guinevere glanced up into his bright blue, sparkling eyes which she has always been drawn to and whispered in response "For me, books are an escape. The adventures, the undying love for each other, the handsome prince..." at this she looked down as she felt her cheeks warm up. Avoiding the smirk that Arthur sent in her direction, she lifted her head and continued, shrugging her shoulders "But they are just stories. They are not real and never will be."

Arthur tentatively grazes his large hand against her small one, staring deep into her eyes with a crooked smile on his face.

"Never say never." Then leaning towards her in a teasing way he usherd

"You do realise that I _was_ a handsome prince.", smirking at her.

At this comment Gwen shyly smiled at him before turning her attention back to the book.

Even though neither realised it, their feelings towards one and other were growing. They were breaking down the barriers that they had put up to protect their own hearts.

There was still hope.


	8. Chapter 8

Arthur grumbled as he was scrubbed by two of his servant's from head to toe with a fragrant soap, until his skin felt raw. He didn't remember the last time he had been so clean.

Just as a large bucket of water was thrown over his head, Gwaine strode into the room. "Tonight is the night!

Arthur glanced up at Gwaine through his wet hair that clung to his face.

"I'm not sure I can do this..."

"You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring!"

"Bold. Daring" Arthur repeated to himself, before standing up straight and shaking himself dry, flinging water around the air.

"There must be music, romantic candlelight and when the moment is right" Gwaine paused to smirk at the king "you will confess your love"

"Yes. I can...can" Then doubting himself he shook his head, turning away from his knight.

"No. No I can't do this."

Approaching Arthur, Gwaine questioned "You care for the lady, right?"

Without hesitation the king turned to him. "More than anything."

"Well then. You must tell her!" Gwaine stated simply, slapping his shoulder encouragingly before pushing him over to the changing screen.

"But - "

Before Arthur could continue to dwell on his doubts, Gwaine handed him his formal red dinner jacket which just about fitted his large frame and clasped his Pendragon red cape across his shoulders.

Gwaine stood back to inspect his master. He smiled happily as for the first time in years, he looked like the regal King he used to be.

Merlin strode into the room and gestured towards the open door.

"Your lady awaits" He announced, with a goofy grin on his face.

Inhaling deeply and standing up straight Arthur made his way towards the door to his chambers. He hesitated for a moment before swinging the door open and striding out.

* * *

The king made his way down the staircase to the entrance of the ballroom to wait for Guinevere's presence. He brushed his hand nervously through his hair but stopped when he finally heared her soft footsteps approaching from the stairs. He took a breath before stepping forward and cast his eyes over her.

He forgets to breath. Staring at her in awe as she gracefully made her way towards him down the staircase.

She looked stunning, wearing a deep purple fitted dress which hugged her narrow waist but slowly flared out at the skirt. The neckline dipped to reveal her beautiful cinnamon skin and his eyes dropped to the rise and fall of her chest, yet the dress was still respectful. There was a long, lace golden panel that ran down the center of it with gold embroidery that lined it and white lace sleeves that hung down to her waist. Her soft and enticing curls were pinned away from her face, falling down her back which he appreciated as it gave him the opportunity to be able to fully see the heart shape of her face, the slight pink hues of her cheeks and her long lashes which she shyly looked through to gaze up at him.

She looked positively regal and it made Arthur dumbstruck.

Merlin came over to Arthur and whispered in his ear, "Breathe"

Taking a large exhale, he was brought out of his trance of Guinevere's beauty and began to slowly approach her with a large grin on his.

When she reached the bottom of the staircase he bowed to her which she giggled at before dropping into a low curtsey.

Extending his large hand out to her, she placed hers delicately in his. They both paused as they stared deeply into each others eyes, trying to take in this moment.

He whispered to her "You look beautiful", before tugging at her hand and leading her towards the ballroom as the servants opened the doors wide for them to enter.

He stood shyly in the doorway, watching her as she made her way into the grand room. She gazed up in amazement at the large golden chandelier for a moment, before turning back to Arthur. She reached for his hand and lead him into the ballroom as the musicians began to play a slow tune.

He sucked in a breath as she drew him closer, placing his hand on her waist and held her hand in his. She felt so fragile and small in his arms and he had this growing urge to protect her and make sure she was alright.

They began gliding across the room, their only focus was on each other as they happily gazed at each other. Even though Arthur had not danced in many years, the movements felt natural to him as memories of practicing with Alice as a young boy came flooding back to him, making him smile.

The servants and knights were standing at the edge of the ballroom, watching the scene unfolding in front of them with hope gleaming in their eyes.

Gwen leaned her head against his shoulder as they danced around the room. Surprised, Arthur glanced at the observers for reassurance and they responded with a thumbs up and an encouraging smile. This gave him the confidence to stand up straighter, gazing lovingly down at the beautiful woman in his arms.

He let himself hope for a moment. That she was the one and that she felt the same as he did.

As the music stopped, Arthur lead her out onto the balcony. At this point his loyal companions decided to give them some privacy and so left the ballroom.

Guinevere stared up at the brightly shining stars in the night sky. Brighter than any stars she had seen back in Camelot.

Arthur scratched the back of his head awkwardly, thinking of what to say next.

He turned to her and held her hands in his.

"Guinevere? Are you...are you happy here…with me?" He asked timidly.

She responded immediately "Yes" before casting her head downwards, remembering the things she had had to give up.

Arthur looked at her worryingly, lifting her head up by the chin so he could look into her eyes. "What is it?"

She turned her head and looked over into the distance. "If only I could see my father again. Just for a moment. He was all I had and I miss him so much." Tears gathered in her eyes as her thoughts strayed to wonder how her father was coping without her.

Arthur looked away guiltily. It was his fault to cause her this pain, therefore he had to make it right "There is a way." He stated confidently, looking back at her. The young king grabbed her hand and lead her back into the castle and up the staircase towards the West Wing.

Guinevere hesitated at the door as memories of the last time she was there came flooding back to her.

"It's alright. You can come in." Arthur said as he stood in the open doorway with a soft smile.

Extending his hand towards her he simply said "I trust you."

She paused as she took in the weight of his words. She didn't realise that these words were what she has been waiting to hear. That they held so much promise and hope for the future. _Their_ future. Slowly, she took his hand, mirroring his soft smile at his kind words and was lead into the room.

They reached the enchanted rose but next to it was a delicate silver hand mirror which Guinevere had not noticed before.

Picking it up carefully, Arthur handed her the mirror and explained "This mirror will show you anything you wish to see."

She hesitated at this kind gesture and so he decided to encourage her "Take it."

Gwen took the mirror in hers, their fingers brushing against each others for a moment. They both glanced up at one and other as they felt a spark of chemistry between them. She then lifted the mirror up to her face and commanded "I wish to see my father."

A bright light radiated from the mirror, causing Gwen to turn away for a moment before looking back to see the image in front of her.

It was of her father as he stumbled through the dark woods, still seeming to be sick from before. Even though she could not hear him, she saw Tom calling out for her.

"Father! Oh no..." she gasped, shaking her head.

She turned to Arthur "He is sick. He is all alone and needs my help." She pleaded, desperate to save her father.

Arthur turned towards the wilting rose, protected by the glass vase. Gazing at it intensely and reaching out to the magic object which has caused him so much grief. But it was one of the most precious thing in his life.

Until now.

He turned to Gwen, realising now that _she_ was the most precious thing to him.

He knew that he must release her. Deciding that Guinevere's happiness was more important than his own freedom from this curse.

He hesitated before stating "Then you must go to him", turning away from her. "I release you. You are no longer my prisoner."

Shocked, Gwen whispered "You mean...I'm free?"

Arthur reluctantly nodded in response to her question.

Gently touching his arm, she said softly "Oh thank you Arthur. Thank you."

This action only made his heart break. He may never see her again but knowing that he has given up his own freedom for her happiness, soothed this pain slightly.

She turned towards the door, speaking into the mirror "I am coming father. Don't worry." She turned to hand it back to Arthur but he pushed it back into her hands. "It is yours. So you have something to look back on and... think of me." Touching her hair softly, he twisted one of her curls lovingly around his finger and then cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch, savoring the moment.

"Thank you for understanding how much he needs me" she said, looking into his intense deep blue eyes that burned into her heart for one last time before rushing out of the room.

Arthur heart broke even more as he watched her retreating figure, whispering "but I need you."

Unaware of what had just happened, Merlin strode in and clasped his King on the shoulder.

"Ha! I knew you had it in you my lord. It could not be going better! I think now you shou- "

"I let her go" Arthur interrupted, turning to stare out of the window as he let his grief consume him.

"But. But why did you do that?" He murmured.

"I had to. Because I love her." Arthur sighed and leaned against the table, his back to Merlin as he let his weight be supported by the solid wood. "I've never loved anyone as much as she" he whispered as a single tear dropped down his face. He roughly wiped it away, refusing to feel pity for himself.

From the window he saw her gallop away towards the forest.

Arthur cried out as if he was in pain.

He was in pain. Of a broken heart.


	9. Chapter 9

"Father?"

Gwen raced through the forest, scanning through the tree's as she called out her father's name.

"Father? Where are yo-" She gasped as she saw her Tom slumped in a heap on the floor unconscious. She rushed over to him and felt his pulse. It was still beating, but weakily. Just as she had done a few days ago for Arthur, Gwen put her arms around her fathers and lifted him up onto the horse with all the strength she could muster. Once he was securely on, she led the horse back towards their home in the lower town.

When they arrived back at their humble cottage, Gwen helped Tom off of the horse who now had begun to regain consciousness. As they walked into the house, George who had been camping outside the Leodegrance home, whispered "They're back! Just wait until Lancelot hears this…" before running off in the direction of the tavern.

Gwen helped Tom into his bed and started to dab his clammy temple with a damp cloth as he began to take in his surroundings. "Gwen? I-"

"Shhh" She interrupted his strained voice. "It's alright father. I'm home." She smiles warmly at him.

"I thought I would never see you again!"

"I missed you so much" She whispered as they embraced each other, before her father pulled back and questioned. "But the Beast? Did you…How did you escape?!"

"I didn't escape father. He…he let me go."

"That horrible beast?!"

"But he is different now, father. He's changed somehow." She turned her head away towards the window, unaware of her father's cynical gaze as she smiled at the memories of the moments shared between her and Arthur over their time together. Intterupting her throughts, there was a knock at the door. Gwen carefully opened the door and was faced with a evil looking man who had a smirk plastered on his face as he tapped his fingers together.

"May I help you?" Gwen cautiously asked.

"I have come to collect your father." Agravaine looked over her shoulder at the man sitting up in his bed with a fearful look in his eyes.

"My father?!" She blurted out in confussion.

"Do not worry my dear. We will take good care of him." He stepped to the side and gestured to the mass off guards and citizens who she had once called her friends, as they were gathered around a large cage strapped onto the back of several horses. On the side of the cart there was a sign in red paint stating -

"ASYLUM FOR THE MENTALLY INSANE"

"My father is not crazy!" She yelled out in disbelief and stepped out of the doorway.

"He was raving like a lunatic" George shouted out. Turning towards the others in the crowd he added "We all saw him didn't we?"

They all yelled in agreement. Guinevere could not believe how the people she thought of as friends had turned on her and her father in such a short amount of time.

"No, I won't let you!" She rushed towards them, not realising that Tom had emerged from the doorway "Gwen?"

"Tom! Tell us again, old man. Just how big was the beast?" George called out.

Tom stepped forward "He was..I mean, he was…He was enormous!"

The crowd erupted into fits of laughter.

"Well, you don't get much crazier than that!" George called out, encouraging the citizens of Camelot.

"It's true, I tell you!" He rushed forward into the crowd before he stumbled to his knees. Agravaine's guards grabbed hold of Tom's arm and dragged him towards the cart. "No! You can't do this!" he cried out, trying to free himself from their tight grasp.

"No!" Gwen pushed past the audience, trying to reach her father but before she could step any further, Lancelot approached her a placed a 'comforting' arm around her shoulders.

"Poor Guinevere. It's a shame about your father."

"You know he is not crazy Lancelot." She looks up to him.

"Hmm…I might be able to clear up this little misunderstanding. If…" He smirked down at her.

"If what?"

"If you marry _me_."

"What?!"

"One little word, Gwen. That's all it takes." He pushed himself closer to him as their bodies pressed flush against one and other.

"Never!" Gwen shouted in his face, pushing to try and escape from his hold on her.

"Have it your way." He turned away from her and strode over to Tom, glancing back over his shoulder just in time to see Gwen rush into the house and come back with a glimmering object in her hands.

"Gwen? Let go of me!"

"My father is not crazy and I can prove it! Show me the Beast" She commanded into the mirror as it shined out a blinding light.

She turned the mirror so that everyone could see the picture in the mirror of Arthur roaring out from the balcony in his castle. The crowd gasped at the sight and turned to whisper in fear to one and other. "Is it dangerous?!" A woman called out.

"Oh no, no, he'd never hurt anyone." Gwen rushes towards them, now worried for the consequences of her rushed decision to reveal Arthur's current form to the judgemental crowd. Back tracking she added "Please. I know he looks vicious, but he is really kind and gentle…He's my friend." She smiles into the image of Arthur reflected in the mirror.

Disgusted that this beast trumped a handsome knight as he, Lancelot snarled at Gwen as he grabbed hold of her shoulder, turning to face him again. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you had feelings for this monster."

"He's no monster, Lancelot. You are!"

"She's as crazy as the old man!" Lancelot snatched the mirror out of Gwen's hand and showed the image again to the crowd.

"The Beast will make off with your children. He will come after them in the night"

"No!" Gwen rushed towards him and tried to grab hold of the mirror that Lancelot held above her grasp.

"We are not safe until his head is mounted on my wall! I say we KILL the Beast!"

The citizens and guards all shouted out in agreement, holding up their swords and torches.

"It's time to take some action!"

The men all shouted out "KILL THE BEAST!"

"No! I won't let you do this." Gwen finally grabbed hold of the mirror and attempted to pull it from Lancelot's tight grasp.

Grabbing hold of her wrist, Lancelot yelled out to the crowd as he turned her towards them "If she is not with us, she is against us! Bring the old man. We can't have them running off to warn the creature." He threw Gwen into the caged cart, quickly followed by her father.

"Let us out!" Gwen cried as she slammed her fists against the doors.

"We will rid the town of this beast! Who's with me?!" Lancelot called out as he punched his sword into the air.

"I AM!" Many of the men called out.

"Light your torch, mount your horses and grab your swords." Lancelot commanded.

"We are counting on Lancelot to lead the way!" George called out.

"Through a mist, to a wood where within a haunted castle something's lurking. It's a beast and we won't rest until he'd good and dead" The men yelled.

"We will lay siege to the castle and bring back his head!" cried Lancelot to the crowd

"WE WILL KILL THE BEAST!"

As the crowd made their way into the forest, Gwen and tom were left unguarded in the cart.

"I have to warn the Beast. This is all my fault!" Gwen cried out as she tried to pick the lock of the door. "Oh father what are we going to do?"

"Now, now. We will think of something" Tom patted Gwen's hand, before gathering her in his arms and enveloping her in a hug.

Both father and daughter sat in silence, clinging to each other, as they tried to think of a plan to not only save themselves, but to save the Beast.


	10. Chapter 10

"I knew it! I knew it was foolish to get our hopes up from the start!" Merlin exclaimed as he paced back and forth, surrounded by his friends.

"Maybe it would have been better if she never came at all…" Leon grumbled his frustration towards the situation. He had known Arthur since they were boys and considered him a close friend as well as his sovereign and he was upset hearing how his friends heart had been broken.

Merlin turned on Gwaine, pointing a finger at him. "It's all your fault! She should not have stayed from the beginning but you insisted-"

"My fault?! You bumbling little-"

Their ranting was interrupted when a royal guard beckoned them to the window. As they all rushed forward they could hear the noise of people approaching.

"Could it be? Could it be Gwen returning?" Merlin whispered hopefully, turning towards his friends.

"Haha! I knew she would come back! I knew she wouldn't give up on-". Gwaine came to a sudden halt when he saw who was approaching.

They all then rushed towards the window to join Gwaine and looked out over the courtyard, but paused at the scene bellow.

It was not Gwen who was approaching but a large mob of villagers from the town.

"Intruders!" Alice gasped. "And they have the mirror!" She added, pointing towards Lancelot who was at the head of the crowd leading them towards the castle.

"We must warn the master. And if it is a fight they want then we shall be ready." Gwaine said as he drew his sword, before they all dispersed from the hallway and towards the West Wing.

* * *

Lancelot jumped off his horse and turned to the villagers "Take whatever you want but leave the Beast to me."

* * *

Meanwhile in the West Wing, Merlin ran towards the King's chambers.

"Pardon me master..." Merlin said as he rushed into the room.

"Leave me in peace" Arthur mumbled with his back faced towards him.

"But sire! The castle is under attack. What should we do?"

"It does not matter now. Just let them come." Arthur replied solemnly, looking out of the window to the angry mob. He did not feel like his life was worth living anymore.

Not without Guinevere.

They sharply turned towards the door as they heard a large bang of the front entrance being knocked down.

* * *

Gwen had been picking at the lock with one of her hair pins since the villagers left, determined to not give up hope to escape.

'This is all my fault. I have to go and help my friends.'

Her thoughts were interrupted when finally, the lock clicked open. She turns towards her father with a triumphant grin.

"How did you do that?!" Tom exclaimed.

"I'm the daughter of a blacksmith remember?"

He chuckled before being pulled up by his hand by his daughter as they both ran into the forest towards the castle to help their friends before it was to late.

* * *

"Finally" Lancelot grunted when him and the men eventually broke down the door.

They cautiously made their way through to the entrance hall with Lancelot leading the way. It was odd. There wasn't a person in sight or even a sound made as he continued to walk through the dark hall. He gestured for the crowd to follow him as they brought their torches higher in order to investigate and see what lay ahead.

It was quiet. Too quiet.

They didn't notice the highly trained knights of Camelot hiding in the shadows before it was too late to react.

"FOR CAMELOT!" Gwaine shouted as him and the knights ran into the hallway with their swords held high to protect their sovereign.

In a matter of seconds, the battle began and the shouts and cries vibrated through the castle.

Lancelot watched from the sidelines as he could see that these mysterious knights were quickly defeating his men. Knowing that it was a losing battle he sighed and made his way through the castle to do what he aimed to do. Kill this beast who had bested him.

'He may have bested me once by steeling Gwen from me, but I shall have the last laugh.' He thought to himself with a smirk on his face as he made his way through the many corridors of the castle in search of Arthur.

The villagers screamed in panic as they retreated and ran quickly out of the castle and towards the forest. They saw no 'Beast' and were easily defeated by their opponents, feeling tricked by Lancelot for making them come here in the first place for no reason.

George watched on as he saw the retreating villagers. 'Why should I continue? Stuff Lancelot and his big ego! I'm getting out of here!' before he followed the others out of the castle.

The knights of Camelot cheered and congratulated each other as they won the battle to protect their home.

"Just like the good old days!" Gwaine said to Leon.

"You fought well." Merlin grinned as he slapped Gwaine friendly on the back, joining the two men.

"You did alright yourself mate." He responded with a smirk, gesturing to the pan that Merlin was holding.

"I know! Who knew you could do so much damage from stuff from the kitchen?" The two men chuckled.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lancelot went to open the last door to a room he had not yet investigated which was located in the west wing. He kicked it open and peered in, seeing the Beast hunched over a table at the other end of the room.

Chuckling to himself, he drew his arrow in Arthur's direction as he turned towards him with sadness in his eyes.

"AHH!" Arthur shouted as the arrow was embedded into his shoulder but before he had much time to react, Lancelot pushed him through the glass window and onto the balcony.

"Get up!" Lancelot barked as he kicked him to the edge.

"What's the matter _Beast_?" He laughed, "Too kind and gentle to fight back?!" He mocked as he kicked him again in the chest, knocking the air out of Arthur.

He just didn't respond, seeing no point if he was going to live this miserable life without Guinevere. He saw no point to fight back.

"I never lose, least of all to a monster" Lancelot drew his sword and raised it with range in his eyes.

"NO!" a soft voice shouted from bellow in the courtyard.

Arthur turned his gaze down, his eyes locking with Guineveres as she stood there in the courtyard with her hair blowing in the wind. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

"Guinevere?" he asked tentatively

"No, Lancelot, don't!" She cried in desperation.

That was all Arthur needed to give him the strength to fight for his life as he brought his booted foot right into Lancelot's stomach, throwing him onto his back as his sword clattered to the floor. He recovered quickly and connected his fist into Arthur's face.

The two men quickly became more and more violent, using every skill they learnt as a knight to try and overthrow the other.

Gwen knew she needed to get up there so ran towards the entrance of the castle. Before she could even greet her friends who looked at her in shock, she ran towards the West Wing of the castle as fast as she could.

The rain came down heavily by now and lighting was striking from above, but it went unnoticed as Lancelot and Arthur continued to fight each other. Arthur stepped into the shadows to buy some time, hatching a plan in his head to beat Lancelot.

"Come on out and fight!" Lancelot shouted as he turned in every direction in search of him.

"Were you in love with her, _Beast_?" He mocked, trying to entice Arthur from the shadows.

"Did you honestly think she would want you when she could have someone like me?!"

Hitting a nerve, Arthur emerged and approached Lancelot from behind. However, hearing the low growls of the Beast, Lancelot sharply turned and they began to circle each other.

"It's over Beast! Gwen is MINE!" He bellowed, "You were never good enough for her. She was mine and _always_ will be."

Arthur's eyes narrowed as rage rippled through him and in a matter of seconds Arthur threw Lancelot so he was on a ledge of the castle, making him stumble and grab onto the roof tiles for support.

"Ple-ase…don't hurt me!" Lancelot whimpered in panic, revealing the coward he was underneath his ego. "I'll do anything. ANYTHING!" He continued, clawing for grip on the slippery slope.

Arthur paused as realization hit him.

He did not want to be the 'Beast' everyone thought he was. He wanted to be good enough for Guinevere and her love and he could never do that if he was the cause of a mans death.

Grabbing Lancelot by his arm he brought him up over the ledge and towered over him.

"Get. Out." He growled and shoved him towards a door entering the castle.

"Arthur!" Gwen shouted as she lent as far over as she could from the balcony on the West Wing.

"Guinevere" Arthur whispered as a soft smile grew on his face, making his way towards her.

Her hand reached over the edge as his large one enclosed hers. Arthur caressed her face and he stared deeply into her warm eyes filled with love.

"You came back." He stated, rather than a question, amazed that she did so.

Gwen placed her hand over his which was still against her cheek and closed her eyes as relief flooded through her, revelling in his touch.

But the moment was broken and everything happened so quickly.

"AGHH!" Arthur screamed and doubled over in pain as Lancelot had approached from bellow unnoticed and shoved the sharp blade into his side.

"I told you Beast, I _never_ lose." He growled into his ear, twisting the blade deeper as his other hand gripped his shoulder.

Arthur stumbled forward onto the balcony near Guinevere's feet. The movement caused Lancelot to lose his hold of Arthur and tripped backwards, screaming as he fell off the ledge and down to the dark depths of the castle floor.

That was when Gwen's world came crashing down on her.

* * *

_Authors note: _Happy new year to all who has stuck with this story! Sorry this story took so long to have another chapter added but I have been moving house several times over the past few months and have had no internet. I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to see how the story concludes! I promise to finish it as quickly as possible. Enjoy!


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